Last updated: 11 December 2025
This Policy explains VTUSync’s rules on hate speech and discrimination and works together with our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Community Guidelines, and Moderation / Anti‑Abuse policies. VTUSync has zero tolerance for serious hate or discriminatory behaviour.
1. Protected characteristics
Hate or discrimination targeting people based on any of the following is strictly prohibited:
- Caste, religion, region, or language
- Gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation
- Disability, physical or mental health
- Nationality, ethnicity, race, or similar traits
Content that attacks, degrades, or dehumanises someone because they belong to one of these groups is treated as hate speech.
2. Content that is not allowed
You must not create, share, or promote:
- Slurs and dehumanising language: Using insults, slurs, or comparisons to animals/objects to target protected groups or individuals.
- Threats and calls for harm: Supporting, encouraging, or threatening violence, harassment, or serious harm against a person or group.
- Glorification of hate or violence: Celebrating attacks, discrimination, or historical violence against protected groups.
- Exclusion and segregation: Calling for people to be removed from classes, colleges, spaces, or opportunities because of who they are.
- Humiliating edits and memes: Images, videos, or memes designed to shame or ridicule someone primarily because of a protected characteristic.
Even if such content is framed as “just a joke”, VTUSync will treat it as hate speech if it reasonably targets people based on identity, not ideas.
3. Harassment and coordinated attacks
You must not:
- Lead or join dogpiling or brigading aimed at a person or group because of their identity.
- Use VTUSync groups, chats, or posts to organise mass mocking, mass reporting, or campaigns to push someone off the platform for discriminatory reasons.
- Repeatedly reply or message someone with hateful or discriminatory content after they have asked you to stop.
A pattern of targeted behaviour is treated more seriously than a single post and can result in immediate account restrictions or bans.
4. Context, discussions, and borderline cases
VTUSync allows:
- Critical discussion of ideas (e.g., policies, beliefs, institutions) as long as it does not cross into attacking people based on identity.
- Academic or news‑style references to hateful language or events when used to analyse, document, or condemn them, not to promote them.
In borderline cases (for example, dark humour, sarcasm, or “inside jokes”), VTUSync may consider context, past behaviour, and impact. Repeated “edgy” content that repeatedly targets the same group can be treated as hate speech even if each individual post is ambiguous.
5. Enforcement and consequences
If you violate this Policy, VTUSync may:
- Remove or limit visibility of the offending content.
- Issue warnings or educational notices.
- Restrict features such as posting, commenting, or messaging.
- Temporarily suspend or permanently ban your account (and related accounts/devices) for severe or repeated violations.
- In serious cases involving threats, incitement, or potentially illegal content, share limited information with institutions or authorities as required by law.
For obvious, severe hate or calls for violence, VTUSync may skip warnings and move directly to strong action, including permanent bans.
6. Reporting hate and discrimination
If you see hate speech or discriminatory behaviour:
- Use in‑app Report tools where available; or
- Email support@vtusync.in with your username, a brief description, and screenshots/links if possible.
False or malicious reporting to target someone you simply disagree with can itself result in action under our Anti‑Abuse Policy.
7. Updates to this Policy
This Policy may be updated over time. When it changes, VTUSync will update the “Last updated” date and may show a notice in the app or on our website. Continued use of VTUSync after changes means you accept the updated Hate Speech & Discrimination Policy.